Anthony Stocks, a 54-year-old man from Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 19 and a half years, after he was found guilty of multiple sexual assaults and the attempted murder of a young boy.
Oxford Crown Court heard how Stocks committed repeated sexual offences against a young girl starting in 2019. When she confided in a boy, Stocks devised a deadly plan to silence him permanently to prevent the exposure of his crimes.
In a harrowing incident on September 24, 2022, after a day out that included a visit to see Chelsea Football Club, Stocks drove the boy to the cliffs at Ovingdean, near Brighton. There, in a calculated attempt to kill the child and cover up his sexual crimes, he pushed the boy off a cliff, resulting in the child falling 30 meters (about 100 feet). Despite the significant height, the boy survived but continues to suffer from the serious injuries sustained.
Initially believed to be an accident, the true nature of the fall was unveiled through a thorough investigation led by Thames Valley and Sussex Police. This investigation also brought to light the horrific sexual abuse Stocks had inflicted on the girl.
Detective Sergeant Rachel Jackson, from Thames Valley Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, praised the resilience and bravery of the victims. Their testimonies were crucial in bringing Stocks to justice, despite the psychological and physical scars they will carry.
Stocks, who was also found guilty of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, rape, and causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, showed no remorse for his actions throughout the investigation.
This case, labelled as one of the worst encountered by the officers involved, underscores the severe impact of sexual violence and the lengths to which perpetrators will go to avoid accountability. The community, while relieved at the outcome of the trial, remains shaken by the severity and callousness of Stocks’ actions.
The courage displayed by the victims in facing their assailant and aiding the police investigation has been commended by law enforcement officers, who reiterate their commitment to supporting survivors and prosecuting offenders to the fullest extent of the law.
